Have you ever danced?

This is a discussion on Have you ever danced? within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; Have You Ever Danced?
An old prospector shuffled into the town of El Indio, Texas , leading an old, tired mule. The old man headed ...

Have you ever danced?

Have You Ever Danced?

An old prospector shuffled into the town of El Indio, Texas , leading an old, tired mule. The old man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched throat. He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch rail. As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.

The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey, old man, have you ever danced?" The old man looked up at the gunslinger and said, "No, I never did dance ... never really wanted to."

A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well, you old fool, you're gonna' dance now," and started shooting at the old man's feet. The old prospector, not wanting to get a toe blown off, started hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet. Everybody was laughing, fit to be tied.

When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the saloon. The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled shotgun, and cocked both hammers. The loud clicks carried clearly through the desert air.

The crowd stopped laughing, immediately. The young gunslinger heard the sounds, too, and he turned around very slowly. The silence was almost deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the old timer and the large gaping holes of those twin barrels.

The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man's hands, as he quietly said, "Son, have you ever kissed a mule's ass?"

There are a few lessons for us all here:
Never be arrogant.
Don't waste ammunition.
Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are.
Always, always make sure you know who has the power.
Don't mess with old men; they didn't get old by being stupid.

I'm a newbie here and your thread caught my eye. I like your taste in storytelling! This is based off one of my favorite poems.

THE PROSPECTOR

They headed out the canyon late autumn in the snow.
The old prospector and his mule were loaded, traveling slow.
He'd buttoned down his collar; his hat was stuck down like glue.
And they headed straight for Elko, because, well, they wanted to.

He chewed a twist of something that would surely curl your hair.
His long gray beard matched his steel, gray eyes with their penetratin' stare.
He moved with calm demeanor, seemed fearless through and through
As they headed straight for Elko, because, well, they wanted to.

His mule was short and wiry; his face was long and sad.
He had a way of travelin' kind'a like his owner had.
They seemed to fit together, their partnership was true
As they headed straight for Elko, because, well, they wanted to.

When they hoofed it into Elko, a bunch of cowboys gathered 'round.
See, they'd just come off together, and they was a shootin' up the town.
When they spied that old prospector, they knew just what they'd do.
They circled up around him, because, well, they wanted to.

One asked the old prospector if he'd ever learned to dance.
"No," he said real cautious, "I ain't never had the chance."
So the cowboy pulled his six gun and said, "Well, I'm up to teachin' you!"
And he danced that night in Elko, just as if he wanted to.

Yes, he danced and dodged them bullets like a jumpin' jack
Until he counted six, then he ceased dancin', stepped quickly to his pack.
He held a shotgun in his hands, his voice was calm and cool.
He said, "Tell me something, Sonny, have you ever kissed a mule?"

The young man's face contorted as he pondered his disgrace,
And he stared with consternation at that shotgun in his face.
He swallowed hard before he spoke, his voice came sharply through,
He said, "No! I ain't never kissed no mule! But I've always wanted to!" -JACK HANNAH

Sometimes in life you have to stand your ground. It's a hard lesson to learn and even most adults don't get it, but in the end only I can be responsible for my life. If faced with any type of adversity, only I can overcome it. Waiting for someone else to take responsibility is a long fruitless wait.

Never be arrogant.
Don't waste ammunition.
Whiskey makes you think you're smarter than you are.
Always, always make sure you know who has the power.
Don't mess with old men; they didn't get old by being stupid.